Struggle through the Sand and Leaves
by GoWaitInTheCar
Summary: Severely injured Kiba is in Kankuro's care until he can get back to Konoha. The more time he spends in Sunagakure, the more he gets to know all grown up Kankuro. Kiba's attacker is still out there. Will Kiba get to settle the score?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or any characters in Naruto.

This fan fiction is set much later into the series when Kankuro is about 23 and Kiba is 21 and is set in Kiba's point of view.

**Struggle through the Sand and Leaves**

I opened my eyes and instead of seeing my room's ceiling or the usual hospitals, there was a ceiling fan spinning to the slow hum of its motor. The air was dry and my mouth was parched. My lips tore apart from having no moisture. The blinds were drawn and the room was partially in the dark. I tried to sit up but my back protested. A horrible pain shot down my left side and I quickly start to panic. The sweat from my forehead slowly trickled down in an agonizing slow race. I swiped it away and was relieved to see I could move my arms. As I lay there in this room, I backtracked to the last thing I remembered. It was foggy and I wasn't sure where to start. I must have laid there for hours trying to remember to only came back to nothing.

After several clicks, the door to the room opened and I see a black hooded figure enter. The figure walked in to the next room and I try to call out. My throat is so dry and all that comes out were raspy moans. All gets quiet in the next room and the figure takes a moment before looking through the doorway at me.

"Ah, so you've finally woke up," the faucet was running, "You've been out for 4 days."

The figure helped me sit up against the back board of the bed. My left side was stinging and felt like I had been gutted previously. The glass of water was cold and it dripped down my chin as I chugged it down. Refreshing to every last drop and I wanted more. I handed him the glass and he retrieved another. As he was in the kitchen, I looked down at my wrapped torso and stomach. My left side had started bleeding a little through the gauze. What the hell happened to me? With a broader view of the room, I looked for Akamaru. His dingy white fur of body mass was nowhere to be seen.

"Kankuro, where am I? Why are you here? Where is Akamaru?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right; you probably don't remember'"

"Huh? Where is he?"

"Calm down. We don't have veterinarians here so your sister and her three ninken came to take him back to Konoha. He was injured pretty badly. He actually brought you here"

"He did? I don't remember anything" Kankuro handed me the glass and again, I chugged it down.

"Hm, like I said, you've been asleep for 4 days. We were hoping you could tell us what happened. He apparently dragged you here and collapsed from his injuries. We were surprised to see a Leaf Shinobi outside of our gates in the condition you were in. You kept mumbling about a jerk and random things. Gaara contacted your Hokage. Your sister was scared to move you so she asked if we could take you in until you recovered," He sat down on the edge of the bed, his arm supporting him across my legs. It had been a long time since I had seen him. In fact, it had been years. He was taller, his shoulders more broad. The tan jounin vest fitted him well enough to see he wasn't a pudgy teen any more. He was a man. The purple paint had a different design. Seeing Kankuro before me, I realized I never took a moment to notice my friends, my comrades, weren't the same old kids from the Academy anymore. We were all adults now and full-fledged Shinobi. I suppose I had changed too. Ino had commented how much taller I was compared to Shino. Hinata, cut her hair real short like when we were chunins and she is definitely more confident in her abilities after the war (Although still modest in every way), Choji was a younger version of his father, his appetite only growing. Rock is Guy's twin. If Kankuro was all grown up, I wonder how Gaara faired. Despite my missions, I saw Temari from time to time as she stopped by to see Shikamaru. He refused to say whether or not they were an item but Shino swore he seen them kissing under an awning. I don't know why he would deny it. She was very pretty and could hold her own. Now that was a woman. Perhaps he was still shy about it. I always hear people remark how Akamaru grown. But like I always said, I never noticed. I couldn't carry him anymore and he now carried me on his back.

"I.. I don't remember any of it. I can't even remember leaving Konoha. I tried but man, my head is so foggy"

"You could be suffering from amnesia. In any case, we dispatched trackers, hoping perhaps we'd find the body of who you had been fighting but they came up with nothing. They only found your blood and the location of your fight. It seemed whoever was there before, cleaned up pretty well to not leave a trace of themselves. Hana and Gaara agreed you'd be safer here until we could get you back to Konoha safely."

"This doesn't look like a hospital room"

"No, it doesn't because it's not. You're in my home."

The hell-? "What? Why?"

Kankuro closed his eyes as he spoke in a matter of fact tone, "Our hospital is under quarantine. Sunagakure being a village of the sand, in the middle of no-where, we get drifters seeking medical attention and they bring all sorts of illness and diseases in. We can't just deny them since we have the only hospital in a hundred miles each way; makes for a bad reputation. Anyway, a nurse has been coming every day and changes the IV and all that stuff so don't worry. "

He pulled the covers down and the blood from my wounds was darker and spread throughout the gauze like a sponge. Kankuro stood and offered his hand, "Do you think you can you stand up?"

I grabbed his hand and scooted my legs across to the edge. The pain was agonizing. My side felt like a piece of plastic being pulled apart, thinning out right before splitting. Growling at the pain, I stood on shaky legs. Kankuro threw my arm around his shoulders and gently placed his hand on my left hip. My legs felt like they would give out any minute but one step in front of the other, we made slow progression to the bathroom. His place was tidy except for passing a doorway that led to another room. Crow was completely disassembled, hanging from the ceiling in parts. His work bench and tool boxes laid out as Sasori or rather "Scorpion" sat on a chair against the wall with Black Ant. Sheesh. Creepy.

Entering the bathroom, I sat down on the toilet cover as Kankuro started the shower. To be honest, a shower sounded great. I felt as nasty as I smelled. Using small scissors, Kankuro cut the wrap off, revealing 100 or so stitches and dried blood.  
>"It's healed only a little. It was deep enough to penetrate through so this ointment will help keep the water out, ok?" Kankuro shook a little jar in his hand. He used a glove to apply it to the stitches. Each stroke to the stitches felt weird, felt like they will pull through the skin they held together.<p>

"There's a clean towel on the rack.."

"Thanks.." I stood and leaned against the sink, running my hand through my greasy hair.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I do not own Naruto or any characters in Naruto.

Sorry that the chapters are small. I haven't written in years so this fan fiction is my way of breaking into it again.

**Chapter Two**

Kankuro closed the bathroom door as he left.

"oh man.." I looked in the mirror and my face was still bruised and one side full of scabs. "I got my ass handed to me." The warm water felt amazing as it hit my body. I tried avoiding my left side so not to wipe away the ointment. The water was a light red as it swirled into the drain. My forehead against the wall, I tried remembering. It was so unclear. Who's the asshole who did this to me?

"_**Kiba Inuzuka"  
>Standing up straight, eyes ahead, Kiba stepped forward. Taking the papers in his hands, his mission laid out.<strong>_

My eyes opened. That's right. I had been given a solo mission. I needed to get back to Akamaru. Surely he would remember, right? Stepping out, a gray bag was on the floor next to the door. Kankuro must have placed it inside as I showered. Opening it, my clothes and necessities were inside. Hana must have brought it when she came for Akamaru. She really is a considerate sister. I smiled a little.

Carrying my shirt over my shoulder, I walked slowly into the kitchen in my pajama shorts. My legs were still a bit weak and I took hold of the counter as I passed through. Kankuro wasn't in there. Peering into the spare room, Kankuro was hunched over his work bench as Scorpion lay out over the table, his chest cavity exposed. The floor creaked under my step into the room. Kankuro turned around; his brown spiky hair was wild from having hat hair. It was the first time seeing him without the bunraku hat. I don't know what I had expected to be under the hat. Big ears? Blonde like Temari? Long hair?

His hands were soft as he gently applied ointments to the stitches running down my left side. It burned and I couldn't help it. I growled, baring my teeth at Kankuro. It wasn't polite considering I was in his personal space.

"Ugh, I'm sorry"

Kankuro snorted, "It's alright. Your puppy snarls don't scare me" he smiled as our eyes met. His eyes had always appeared dark with the purple paint but they were different up close. He was too focused again on my wounds for me to look him straight in the eyes again. I was only a few inches shorter than him as he begun wrapping my torso and stomach. It was my stomachs turn to growl. A little embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I thought you might be hungry so the water is boiling for some ramen. Sorry, it's all I have right now. I don't usually have guests"

"Ramen sounds great. I'm not picky."

Soon, we both sat at the small dining table in the kitchen. I stuffed my face as the noodles had yet to cool off. Exhaling as I ate to cool the noodles in my mouth, Kankuro just looked at me in a surprised look.

"Wha-?"

"You eat like a pig"

"I'm starving. I just need food in my stomach right now"

"If you eat too fast, you're going to get sick"

"I'll deal with that later!"

Kankuro rolled his eyes as he took a bite. He was right though. I slowed my pace, bowl after bowl until my stomach was pleased.

I offered to do the dishes as he changed the sheets on the bed. Infact..

"Hey, Kankuro? Since I been asleep in your bed, where have you been sleeping?"

"There's a cot in my workshop. I sleep on it sometimes anyway"

"I think I should be able to walk back to Konoha tomorrow. You can have your bed back"

"That's not possible. You're still not recovered and I can't risk something happening to you while you're still in Sunagakure's care. The wrath of Gaara is not to be taken lightly. You know that"

"I can walk now and tomorrow I'll be fine to-"

"No. You're staying in Sunagakure. Don't be stubborn."

"Tch."

That night I had a hard time sleeping. Probably due to the 4 days of rest I had. I couldn't sleep on my side like I liked to because of my wound. My back was too sore to lie on so I sat against the back board, looking out the window behind the bed at slumbering Sunagakure. The moon was bright and illuminated the streets and sand dunes in the distance. The apartment was dark except for the fluorescent light coming from Kankuro's work shop. I could hear him cursing as he moved about and tools clanking together.

I owed him a lot.. damnit. It wasn't the first time he had saved me. I almost died at Sakon and Ukon's hands. If he hadn't been there, I would be a goner. My mother was surprised and thankful for the Sand Siblings but it was all Kankuro's doing. I doubted Gaara could care enough back then and Temari wasn't the type to help anyone but her kin. I repaid my debt to him with Choji's help not too long afterward. But now here I am in Kankuro's bed this time around. My own personal nurse: Nurse Kankuro whom I owed again. Damnit.

Soon the noises from the work shop got quiet and the light was still on. I sat there thinking of how to get back to Akamaru sooner but it was just too quiet. There was no large white dog to snore as it slept. No buzz from my refrigerator in my own apartment. Slow and painfully, I managed to get out of bed by myself. I held on to the walls as I walked towards the light from the ajar door. Peering into the work shop, his puppets eyes were wide open as if always awake, always watching, and unable to sleep. Kankuro lay on his side on the cot asleep. His face paint was still on and the blanket that covered him was thin. Sunagakure was a hot desert village by day but it was cold at night. I lay the back of my hand on his upper arm and sure enough, he was freezing. I went back to the bed and grabbed one of the three heavy blankets that were there and covered his resting form with it. Upon leaving, I saw two puppets in the corner of the room. A male and female puppet sitting on the bench together, hand in hand. They were normal looking puppets compared to his creepy Crow and Black Ant. They looked... sad yet content to be together. Taking another look at Kankuro's slumbering face, i turned out the lights.

"Goodnight.. Kankuro"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I woke up what felt like a few hours later but it was much longer. I rubbed my eyes as I yawned, the air was so dry and my back was sweaty from sleeping under the heavy blankets. Sunagakure sure was unbearable. I couldn't imagine just how hot it was outside. My back ached at having been resting for so long and I made my way to the bathroom by holding on to anything to help. As I stood in front of the toilet, a note was on the wall,

"Kiba—

The nurse should be here at 11am. Don't scare her off.  
>I'll be home later. Do not leave or else."<p>

At the bottom, instead of a signature, there was a purple drawing of his facial paint to resemble that which was on his face. I snatched the note off the wall and crumbled it in my hand. What was with the note? "Don't scare her, don't leave" pfft! I'm not a child. Kankuro has no authority over me. As I washed my hands, I recalled what he said last night, _"I can't risk anything happening to you while you're still in Sunagakure's care."_ If I left, Gaara would suffocate Kankuro with sand for having let me slip out and jeopardize the peaceful alliance between Sunagakure and Konoha. And that is no way to thank the man for his hospitality. I wanted to go home though. No, I needed to go home. I needed to be by Akamaru's side. I needed to know he was okay. I had promised to always be there and here I was miles apart when he needs me. I need him. But I also had to know what happened that had been passed out for 4 days. If what Kankuro said was true, Sunagakure's trackers couldn't find a body, he or she was still out there.

Kankuro didn't own a tv to pass the time. I couldn't stay in the apartment all day. There was no way. It was too quiet and there were creepy puppets in the next room. I walked by the room and peered in. I was met by staring eyes and quickly shut the door with a fast reflex. A knock on the door had me jump and a redheaded nurse let herself in. Her small frame hid behind bulky black glasses. She carried several medical bags.

"Hello Kiba, I'm Nurse Rio from Sunagakure Hospital. Kankuro told me you were awake. How are you feeling today?"

"I feel claustrophobic. I feel sore. I feel anxious. When is it possible for me to go home?"

"Oh, uh, w-well.. your injuries were pretty severe. You had been poisoned and your insides were partially out through the wound when you came in. You had lost a lot of blood, Kiba. Your survival was a miracle. I'm surprised you're walking around now. Y-you should be in bed. The best thing for you right now is to stay in Sunagakure until you've completely healed"

"I almost died, huh.. I can't stay here. I have someone in Konoha who needs me. Do you have someone important to you? Can you understand my dilemma?"

Nurse Rio was nervous. She couldn't look me in the eyes and her hands fidgeted.  
>"I-I do and I understand but h-home shouldn't be an option right now. Kazekage's brother has been very gracious to keep you here in his home so you'll be safe. He said you might be suffering from amnesia so please, Kiba, the more you rest, the sooner you can return to Konoha. Until then, please, don't fuss. Kazekage and Kankuro are only looking out for your well-being."<p>

"Yeah.." I looked out the window at Sunagakure's streets. Children were running by, laughing. Nurse Rio started opening several of the bags and hooked up a fresh bag of IV to my arm. She inspected my stitches and flushed the wound out. It was painful and burned. I tried not to growl. _"Don't scare her off"  
><em>I dug my nails into the sheets of the bed but I couldn't stop from baring my teeth. It hurt too much.

"I-I'm sorry, Kiba! I'm almost done. I promise"

Soon enough, she was bandaging my body and gave me a small bottle of pain relievers.

"Kiba, I can't give you a guaranteed time frame in which you will be able to go home but it might not be for a while. The tissue looks as though it has torn open again. You must rest and be careful not to strain yourself. In Konoha, someone needs you, right? I'm sure they are worried about you too and want to know you will be able to come home to them in good health."

"I know; you're right.."

Nurse Rio smiled in relief. "You might enjoy it here, Kiba. This village isn't like Konoha but it's not so bad." She said as she packed up her bags. I could only force a halfhearted smile out in response.

I spent the day tearing up bits of paper, scavenging through Kankuro's cabinets for food. He had shrimp chips and some items I would never try because they didn't sound at all appetizing. I must have ate the last of his ramen last night. Having the whole day to myself, I shaved my face till it was smooth, peered out the window at the kids playing chase. I was incredibly bored. The room felt small and the heat was starting to get to me. Opening the window didn't help. It only made it even stuffier from the heat outside. The kitchen faucet leaked and I could hear a small dripping sound all the way into the next room. The fan's buzzing and the drops of water were driving me crazy. Back and forth, buzzzzzzz drip buzzzzzzz drip.

"AhhhhhhHHHHHH!" I held my head and soon I heard a click, the door! Without thinking, I stood up as the door opened. Big mistake! I hunched over, holding my left side from the pain of having moved so suddenly. Kankuro immediately rushed over, dropping his bag on to the floor. He was on his knees, his face close to mine as he held on to my hunched shoulders.

"What were you doing, idiot?"

"I need to get out of here. I can't stay inside all day. It's driving me nuts!"

Kankuro leered before scratching his temple, "Well, I do need to get some food if you're going to be staying here with me for a while"

I slowly straightened out, putting on my tough guy act and I went over to the door where my shoes were.

"I'm coming! I'm picking the food. You eat weird shit"

"I thought you said you weren't picky"

"I'm not when I'm starving"

The sun was setting as we walked to the store. Kankuro's hands were in his pockets as we walked. I was relieved to be outside and it finally started to cool down as the sun was setting behind the dunes. There was tons of smells and I could tell what everyone was cooking for dinner within a quarter of a mile. The air had a delicious smell to it. It only made me hungrier.

As we went through the market, I started filling the cart with everything appealing. If I'm going to be stuck inside all day, I'm going to eat like a king. Kankuro stopped to look at several items and I tried hurrying him along.

Kankuro sighed as the cashier read out the total and opened his bag for his money. I felt a little guilty but oh well, I was a growing boy and my body needed nourishment to recover.

As we finished our dinner, Kankuro stretched. His back cracked several times and his elbows too. He let out a long sigh as he rotated his wrists. That little cot couldn't be too comfortable for a big guy like Kankuro.

"You can sleep in the bed tonight. I'll take the cot. But I'm moving it out of that room. Those puppets are freaky"

Kankuro laughed. It was deep and his smile was genuine, "So that's why the door was closed. Do they scare you, Kiba?"

"Tch, I'm not scared of them. I just don't like the feeling of being watched."

Kankuro grabbed my plate and his as he stood up, "The bed is yours until you leave."

"Hmm.. you know, you don't have to be nice to me. I'm a guest but I'm not your's, right? You're doing this for Gaara?"

Kankuro ignored me as he started putting the left overs in the refrigerator. I didn't know how to feel about that. There were silent times between us since I had woken but this was the first time it felt awkward. It was true, right? Gaara was Sunagakure's Kazekage and signed a hefty treaty with Konoha. Gaara wouldn't want to disrespect the medical needs of a Konoha Shinobi as not to disrespect the citizens of Konoha. Kankuro and Temari really had no choice in their younger brothers, wait- no, their Kazekage's orders.

"Say, Kankuro? In the room are two puppets. They look different from the others"

"That's because they're not combat puppets like the others."

"Oh now you hear me."

"What was that?"

"Non-combat, huh? They look incredibly sad. "

"They're not. They're with their son"

He read my confused expression.

"Sasori created them just like the others. They are his parents"

I didn't know what to say. I had heard from Sakura that Sasori left Kankuro to die. She saved him from the poison that would have taken his life. Kankuro's puppets were destroyed by their creator. I felt a bit of guilt that I couldn't have been the one to return the favor of saving one's life. No, wait, it wasn't just guilt. It was jealousy and a sense of shame too. Kankuro's puppets were no doubt of importance to him as Akamaru is to me. To lose Akamaru, I know I would lose myself. Did Kankuro feel the same?

"Well, you must have his whole collection by now, right?"

Kankuro scratched his forehead, "No, actually, there are a few still out in the world somewhere. I would love to have them but it's hard to track them down"

Kankuro leaned against the sink with his hands folded across his chest. He stared at me with those dark eyes. I clutched my side as I slowly stood up and joined him at the sink. I started filling the sink with warm water to wash the dishes when I stopped.

"Hey.. why did you interfere with Sakon? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thankful and I never really got a chance to thank you but at the time, I would of never thought one of the Sand Sibling would of bothered to save anyone. Infact, I knew you guys were there. I thought you were coming to kill me too"

"Don't get the wrong idea, kid. Your Hokage asked us to assist. There was no way your punk asses could have defeated them. Besides, they were working for Orochimaru."

Author's Note: Sorry for it taking so long. I had started another fanfic called 'If I had known then what I know now' featuring Ino and Kankuro. I also did a one-shot between Gaara and Neji called 'Secrets that should not be kept.' I plan on finishing this so don't worry ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

I recalled years ago Orochimaru had attacked our village for Sasuke Uchiha, the last of the Uchiha clan. It was also the day our Hokage died. The day of his funeral, everyone was in mourning. It rained on and off throughout the day. Only fitting for the sudden bursts of emotions everyone had tried to keep inside. I heard Orochimaru had the ability to steal people's faces but I didn't know what Kankuro was telling me now, his side of things. The soapy water rinsed off each plate as I put them on the dish rack. Kankuro's eyes were on the floor, focused on the grout between the tiles. I could feel his body heat radiating off of him as we stood side by side.

"Orochimaru paraded around Suna, making fools of us all by wearing my father's face. We were barely surviving as it was. He used us and tore a new hole into this village that Gaara is still cleaning up."

Kankuro seemed lost in thought for a moment as I dried my hands. Shaking his head and waving away any lingering thoughts hanging in front of him.

"Let's go outside. I need some air" he ruffled my hair with his long fingers. I growled at his gesture.

Kankuro slowed his pace as I took my time going up the stair case to the roof of the apartment building, one hand holding my side and the other on the handf rail. I was thinking about what the puppeteer said. How could they not of sensed that wasn't their father? If it had been my mother, I think I would be able to sense something wasn't right. Even though she is unpredictable and hard headed at times, I know my mother. What kind of relationship did he even have with his Kazekage father? Kankuro, Temari and Gaara seemed close but every family has their secrets.

Kankuro pushed the door open with his broad shoulders and it opened with a loud sound. There was a Harvest moon and it looked like it was coming for us there on that rooftop, it was so big. The stars couldn't compare to its brightness. All of Sunagakure was illuminated by its yellow glow.

"Wow.." it was so pretty.

Kankuro sat on the ledge of the building and I stood next to him, leaning against the ledge. The wind was just a breeze and it was getting colder. I didn't mind though. It was so refreshing to Sunagakure's heat wave during the day. We watched the moon in silence before I broke it. Perhaps I should have just enjoyed it a while longer, maybe I should of just shut my mouth and let it go.

"Can I ask you something?"

Kankuro glanced at me before returning his gaze at the village's skyline.

"How exactly didn't you sense something was wrong with your father? That it wasn't him?"

Kankuro's eyebrows knitted and he was silent for a long time. I was about to apologize but he spoke low before I got the chance.

"We weren't that close. I saw him every day and even though we share the same blood, there wasn't much to call a bond. Despite being our father, sometimes he felt like a stranger. He was torn between being a father and his duty to the village, he was a hard man to please. Orochimaru portrayed my father well. He spoke just like him, every word was full of conviction and we believed him. I believed him..  
>Baki and the others didn't find my father's body and his personal body guards until weeks later. We are the worst."<p>

"Don't tell me you blame yourself"

"You're right though; I should have known. I should have suspected something was wrong. Maybe we could have avoided all of this if-"

"Don't. I didn't mean for it come out that way, Kankuro. I assumed your family was close"

Kankuro shook his head, "No one was close to him. It was always just Temari and me. I don't think I have to explain how Gaara was before we had went Konoha for the Chunin Exams. At least now we've been working on being a family. Heh.."

He looked over at me before giving a small fake smile. Even I couldn't buy it. It made me feel guilty that I had brought up something that was a too personal. We sat in silence for a while longer.

After the wind picked up, we headed inside. Going up and down the stairs started straining my wound and it started hurting. Once inside the apartment, Kankuro started to get ready for bed. I could hear the bathroom faucet running. I sat on the bed and took off my shirt with much strain. Who knew a few flight of stairs could wear someone out so badly. I was proved wrong to think I was almost good to go home. I tried cutting the bandages off with a kunai when a shirtless Kankuro came in the room, his kabuki paint was washed off. This would be the first time I seen him without it. I could help but focus on his torso and his face. He had a faint lining of an eight pack and deep lines on his lower abdomen. Under those baggy black clothes he always looked pudgy but he had always had a large build compared to his younger brother even from the first time I encountered him. Carrying his puppets and then the large scrolls on his back for years had definitely toned it and his arms. Yes, indeed he was a man. A small bit of saliva was forming in the corner of my mouth. I tried to slyly lick it away without him noticing I had been staring. He took the kunai from my hand and let out a sigh.

Kankuro kneeled in front of me and started cutting off the bandage and I leaned back on to my hands to support me. I stared at his face while he worked. Kankuro slid out a small plastic box from under the bed that had my rolls of bandages and ointments inside. Taking out what he needed, he opened one of the ointments. He gently applied it and it didn't hurt as bad. Even though I had said enough tonight, I needed to say one last thing to Kankuro.

"Kankuro, I'm sorry about your father" I spoke low. He didn't bother to look me or speak. I didn't care as long as he knew I didn't mean to upset him or place judgment. Placing both his hands on my hips, Kankuro pulled me closer to him. My knees were on either side of him. Kankuro ran his fingertips up my sides and under my upper arms, lifting them to wrap around his broad shoulders. I involuntarily shuddered. My cheeks felt hot. His face was close and I looked away to hide my own. I didn't want him to tease me. He started wrapping my stomach and torso with the new bandage. His eyes were set on what he was doing and I slowly looked back him. He really was attractive. Shame he hid behind the paint. I was surprised he wasn't married by now. But no matter how cool the guy was, I suppose it was hard to meet girls when you hide behind kabuki paint, black baggy clothes and play with giant dolls. Should I even mention his siblings?

My mother was starting to ask if I was going to be married soon. She already had Hana married with a baby on the way but it was important I had kids of my own as soon as possible. There was no way to tell my mother she wouldn't have grandkids by me. I couldn't dodge the subject enough when she asked if I met any cute girls. I could never tell her I wasn't attracted to women. I saved enough damsels to ensure my sexuality to men. It's not like girls weren't interested in me either. I had quite a few younger chunins confess their feelings and for a while I was sure TenTen was hitting on me but she never confirmed she was attracted to me. I am still a virgin despite being 21. Having time to meet another man was hard. It's not like there are openly gay Shinobi anyway. I never told Hana or even Hinata. I could never Shino. My sexuality wasn't something I explored enough on my own to tell others about my preference.

I looked down and Kankuro's hands were resting on the sides of my thighs. I was lost in thought that I hadn't noticed he finished. He leaned closer and rested his head on my lap. I felt his arms loosely snaking around my waist. I held his warm body to me. What brought on the sudden closeness, I have no idea but I didn't pull away. It was nice to be held which I'm sure he wanted. We embraced each other in silence for who knows how long. I felt his breathing ease and soon he was limp against me asleep. I looked down and there was a large bandage on the middle of his back. He got hurt on his mission and didn't tell me? I felt disappointed for some reason. No wonder he was so tired.

"Kankuro.. Kankuro.." I gently whispered in his ear. He sat up, eyes still partially closed. I pulled him by his hands in to the bed. He followed without a word. I turned out the lights and crawled into bed next to him. I studied his face in the shadows as he slept comfortably in his own bed for the first time in a week. This man been through so much, always interfered with my life, and yet I still didn't know anything about him. Our talk tonight on the rooftop, he opened up to me if only a little. My eyes started to feel heavy and I told myself that while I was in Suna, I would get to know him better.

In the morning, Kankuro left early and Nurse Rio came to clean my wound out and bandage it. I stopped protesting my stay. It was useless. I just had to heal and get back to Akamaru when my body was ready. I just hoped he was doing okay. Kankuro came back home around noon, asking me to go with him to Kazekage tower so Gaara could talk to me.

Kankuro handed me a water as we sat on a bench outside the Kazekage tower. Gaara had wanted to talk to me about what I remembered from the attack. I still couldn't remember much but according to Kankuro, it was important that we meet today. Kankuro extended his legs out in front of him. We sat there for a while waiting for Gaara to be done with his meeting. We talked crap to one another and laughed at the kids playing in the street. He didn't say anything about falling asleep in my arms or sleeping next to me last night. I knew if I brought it up, it would make it awkward. A part of me hoped it would happen again. My chest felt light to think about it.

Temari came from inside, her tall and lithe, tomboy-like body was a bit curvier and her hair was divided into two French braids.

"Hey Temari, long time no see!"

"I'm glad to see you out and about. I hear you're quite the roommate" She gave her brother a playful grin. I could only look at Kankuro who was looking at Temari with a frown.

"Is Gaara finished?" Kankuro asked Temari.

"Yeah, we finished later than we had expected. Sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I would sit in but duty calls." she shook a scroll in her hand. "Take care, Kiba"

"See ya" I waved.

We walked into Gaara's office. He sat behind the desk that seemed too big even for his petite body. He hadn't gotten much taller than the last time I saw him. Kankuro sat on the edge of the desk. Both brothers were staring at me. A small knock on the door before it opened. Shikamaru and Sakura came inside.  
>"Eh? What are you guys doing here?" I asked.<p>

"Tsunade sent us to help with the investigation. Sakura came to help heal your wounds" Shikamaru lazily responded the way only Shikamaru did, an arm resting on his hip as his head cocked to the side. No doubt that brain of his was already gearing me up.

"Sorry, Kiba, it took so long for us to get here. Our village has a lot of Shinobi out on missions, she couldn't send anyone fast enough." Sakura smiled softly, her hands behind her back.

I nodded to Sakura. With the abundance of missions flooding in, I knew Tsunade couldn't leave the village unattended with so many Shinobi out.

Gaara spoke, bringing all eyes on his teal eyes, "Tell me what you remember the day you were given your mission till now"

"I remember being in the mission room and was told Akamaru and I were to go alone to investigate something. Or to track? I still don't recall anything from that point"

Gaara nodded to Shikamaru. My Leaf comrade handed me a small scroll. It was my assignment from Konoha.

'Track and observe in the Bevia Forest for any activity. Do not engage any battles. Alert village if threat is found.'

I closed my eyes and started from the beginning of what I could remember. An image flashed in my mind. And then another. Bevia's forest was mostly bamboo. Akamaru sensed someone was watching us as we searched the forest. I sensed it too and we stood in a small clearing to face our follower. There wasn't anywhere to hide in the stocks so it was either fight or flight. Bamboo splinters came flying through the air and hit Akamaru right in the face. He cried loudly as he fell back. I looked back and seen who emerged from the bamboo stocks.

"There.. was a girl. She was fast but her feet never touched the ground"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Never touched the ground?" Sakura repeated.

I nodded, my eyes were closed as I tried replaying everything in my mind.

"She's young and wielded swords. Akamaru and I retreated but she kept up with us with unreal speed. We had no choice but to attack. She dodged Fang Over Fang but we managed to get her with Beast Transformation. I bit her arm and she let go of one of the swords. Ugh.." I opened my eyes. Everyone was staring at me quietly. I couldn't remember any more. My memories drew blank slates of lost time. I averted my eyes away. I was of no help to them.

Gaara folded his arms across his chest. His eyes were focused on me and I felt uncomfortable.

"We searched the Bevia Forest before coming here. We didn't find any clues to where this girl may have gone" Shikamaru offered to break the silence.

"We searched immediately after finding Kiba. We had no luck either" Kankuro stood up from sitting on the desk, turning to face his younger brother for orders.

"Kiba is to remain here by Hokage's orders. Sakura, Shikamaru you will aid our tracking team to find this girl. She's a threat to the path between our respected villages"

Sakura and Shikamaru nodded.

Inside a small office, I took off my leather jacket as Sakura used her medical jutsu to heal my side. Shika stood in the doorway, eyes downward and eyebrows knitted.

"What do you think, Shikamaru?" I asked.

"If she's using a sort of levitation, it explains why neither Leaf or Sand Shinobi found any tracks but yours. What provoked her to attack is what I'm wondering. You managed to injure her. That is why Sakura and I made it here without incident. She's hiding because she's hurt."

I nodded.

"All done!" Sakura smiled. I looked down and sure enough, my wound was closed. She quickly grabbed my wrist and inspected it, "This looks new."

I looked at what she was referring to. There was a very small chakra burn there. I shrugged, putting my jacket on with ease now that my wound was healed, "Thanks, Sakura."

"We'll head further into Bevia Forest. She has to be hiding somewhere if she's injured."

"When are we leaving?" I asked.

"_We_ are leaving once you're done here. _You_ are going back to the apartment" Kankuro said as he entered.

"Damnit, Kankuro. I'm coming" I stood up, my temper getting the best of me.

"I have to agree with Kankuro, Kiba. You should sit this one out." Shikamaru offered. Sakura smiled and nodded. Three against one.

"Ugh" I had no choice. I wanted to find out what happened to me but without Akamaru, what was I?

Sakura folded her arms behind her, "If it helps, Kiba, Hana said Akamaru has made a full recovery. In fact, when we were leaving the village we saw them walking together. He looked well"

"That's great. I can breathe easier now" I smiled.

"Good. We're gonna need you, Kiba" Sakura returned the smile as Shikamaru and herself left the room. Kankuro opened his mouth to say something but after hesitating, he only offered "Go straight back to the apartment."

I walked back to the apartment alone, debating what to do. Useless was an understatement to how I felt. There was nothing else to do in the apartment but lay down. I couldn't sleep though. My mind was racing and I tossed and turned. It was late when I heard the lock turn. I shut my eyes and lay still, pretending to sleep. I peaked at Kankuro moving in the darkness around the room, undressing from his garb and into pajama pants. The light from the bathroom softly made its way to the living room that only served as a bedroom. The literal bedroom was his workshop. The faucet ran and shortly after, the bathroom light turned off. I shut my eyes and felt Kankuro's weight kneeling on to the bed. He froze, holding his position. I opened my eyes enough to see his shirtless figure run his fingers through his messy hair like he was debating. He slowly tried getting off the mattress to not wake me but as he was almost up, I reached out and took hold of his wrist. It was a reaction I didn't intend but it was too late to think of an excuse. The truth was I wanted to be close to him, I wanted to sleep next to his warm body again, I wanted him to know it was okay. My grip loosened and his hand slipped into mine.

Kankuro and I lay facing each other. We spoke for hours about anything and everything. He must have been tired but he never shut his eyes.

"What was your mom like? Do you remember?"

"My mom was kind and wonderful. Exactly how any four year old would remember someone beautiful. I remember her smile. Its imprinted here," his hand patted his heart. "Temari was excited there was going to be another baby. I was so mad at my parents, heh. I wanted to be their only baby. I didn't want to be replaced. You know, the whole middle child crisis. Gaara was born prematurely. I remember he was so tiny. They had all these machines hooked up to him and it was so unreal to believe this tiny little being was our future. My last words to my mother were if she would still love me even after Gaara was born. She held me close to her and I can still remember the sweet scent of flowers in her room, her laugh as she told me, "What a silly thing to ask. Of course I will always love you. Just as I love Temari and your little brother. You're all my special darlings." I will always remember her answer. "

Kankuro shifted his legs, his knee knocking mine, "You've heard enough about me. Let me in."

He was right. I had invaded a personal part of his life and this whole time, I hadn't told him anything about myself in return. It took me a moment to find where to start. "My dad left us when I was little. I can't remember what he looked like or his voice. I have only a few memories with him but he's just a big faceless blur in them. I know I loved him very much. That much I can remember. I cried every night and my sister Hana would pull me into her bed and hold me until I cried myself to sleep. Now that I'm grown, I think back that I didn't have a father to teach me to be a Shinobi, to be a respectable man; not because he died for our village, not any other reason than he wasn't a man himself. He left us, terrified of my mother."

I couldn't help my eyes from watering. I was ashamed to say to it but my father was a damn coward.

"If he was around, maybe you wouldn't have turned out the way you did."

"What do you mean?"

"He wasn't a man. Leaving your children because you're scared means you're a pathetic chump. You grew up with a hard ass mother. You were more of a man than he was when he left. AND you're incredibly stubborn. After meeting your mother in the war, I see where you get it."

I laughed as the tears from my eyes rolled down my cheeks, escaping. He laughed too. But I think he was laughing at me. I felt his warm palm wipe away my tears. His palms were soft and his finger tips calloused smooth. I leaned into his hand, brushing my lips across his thumb.

"It's not easy to survive in our world without breaking your spirit. I don't know you well but from our talks, seeing you fight for your life more than once, there's nothing cowardly about you. You're strong. You're a good man inside this heart" he placed his palm on my chest. "He couldn't of taught you anything that would of made you a better person than you are"

My cheeks felt wet and my face suddenly hot. No one had ever said anything so sweet to me. He propped himself on his elbow, and suddenly my entire body felt light as the air that was stolen from my lungs. His lips were a little chapped, his mouth warm. I snaked my arms around him. His was tongue gently massaging mine. He didn't break our kiss as he mounted on top of me. He was propped against his elbows, on either side of my face, his long fingers getting lost in my hair. My own hands were wandering down his hard back. His scent was getting stronger. Each kiss we shared was getting more and more intense. I felt him through the thin material of his pajama pants pressed against my own. My hips started moving on their own, grinding against him. He let out a small moan and sat up, pulling my shirt off. My skin felt as strong as the Sunagakure's heat with his bare chest touching mine. His kisses left my lips, making their way down my neck. My fingertips eagerly brushing the inside of the waist band of his pajama pants, trying to push them down.

POUND-POUND-POUND.

"Kankuro Sir! Please wake up!"

My eyes shot open and I froze. My stomach dropped, panic and embarrassment washed over my moment of heat. I felt Kankuro tense up. He let out a defeated sigh as he rested his forehead against my chest.

POUND-POUND-POUND

"Kankuro!"

POUND-POUND-POUND

Groaning as he got off me and the bed, he pounded back on the door at whoever it was.

"What?!"

"Kankuro! We need you to come with us. There's been another incident 12 miles out"

"12? I'll meet you at the gates"

"Yes, Sir!"

The voice on the other side of the door disappeared. I sat on the corner of the bed, pulling a pillow to hide my still swollen member. Kankuro was still partially aroused. I watched him gather his clothes and head off into the bathroom. Just how far was I about to go with him had we not been interrupted? My cheeks were hot just thinking about it and I felt a shiver go through my entire body that left a tingling in the wake. Hearing him shuffle into his gear, I thought about what they had said.

"Another incident? What are they talking about, Kankuro?"

"Our mystery lady has gotten closer to the village with another attack"

Hurrying into my own clothes, I was putting on my shoes when Kankuro yanked my arm to him.

"What are you doing? You're staying here"

"I'm going! This is my fight-"

"Don't be stupid. Wait here." Kankuro touched his forehead to mine.

I tried to protest but he was already out the door. Goddamn him.

Author's note: FINALLY! They share their first kiss! Poor Kiba though, hah. While Kankuro told Kiba about the last time he talked to his mother, the last line of her answer "You're all my special darlings," I thought of perhaps having Kankuro have it tattooed above his heart but I decided against it since it kind of seemed kind of.. I don't know, not my place? If you guys haven't noticed, I keep revising the previous chapters, adding more dialogue and what not so perhaps later on I may go back and add the tattoo to Kankuro's body ^_^;  
>Also, I have written a ShikaIno/Kankuro story called If I had known then whats so obvious now if anyone wants to check that out. I also have a one-shot of GaaraxNeji called Secrets that should not be kept. Review?


	6. Chapter 6

I could not sleep. I paced around the apartment for what felt like hours but time was going by so slow. Kankuro still had not returned and I should of have been more focused on what other incident happened but my thoughts were so clouded by him. If we hadn't been disturbed, how far would we have gone? I hardly knew him. I'm with him only two weeks and here I'm about to repay him with my virtue. I lay down, trying to force myself asleep but I was too frustrated with myself and this whole bit. Soon, blood was rushing and I felt just as horny as before. Slapping my hand to my face, I cursed Kankuro for doing this to me.

In the morning, a messenger came to fetch me to head to the hospital to meet with Sakura and the others. The quarantine was lifted and the hospital was starting to re-fill with patients. Entering the morgue in the basement, Sakura greeted me as Gaara, Temari, Baki and Shikamaru stood by the body that was covered with a white sheet. Kankuro looked tired as he sat on an empty gurney. I felt like I couldn't keep my cool. My cheeks felt warm and my body tingled. I wanted to touch him. No, nothing dirty! Just.. touch him, know that I had that permission to be closer to him.

"Now that we're all here, I found a few little clues to our mark" Sakura uncovered the body. His sides were stitched back up on both sides of his abdomen. The bottom of his back and arms were purple and black from the blood settling. "He suffered from the same wounds you did, Kiba, but on both sides. He died slowly and painfully. There were no other signs of trauma. But from the angles of the wounds, they look self-inflicted." Gaara and Shikamaru leaned in closer to get a better look at the wounds. Shikamaru rubbed his chin in thought.

"I did find one other thing. There were small chakra burns on his wrists and ankles. Yesterday when I healed Kiba, there is a similar burn on one of his wrists. They are almost identical."

"Restraints?" asked Temari.

"Could be but I think we may be dealing with a puppet master. "

Kankuro silently protested, holding up both of his hands. I couldn't help but smile at his unnoticed surrender.

"Why do you think she's a puppet master?" asked Baki.

"When I fought against Sasori, Chiyo used my body like she would a puppet. There were burns in the same locations as our victim from the chakra strings."

"So she uses her victims to attack themselves." Shikamaru stated.

Sakura nodded, "It's a theory."

"If it's true, there's only one person who can say." Shikamaru looked directly at me. Everyone else's eyes followed expectantly. _'Thanks a lot, Shika. Jerk.'_

"I haven't remembered anything else." I shrugged, dismissing their let down. Truth be told, I hadn't even tried. My mind had been elsewhere..

"Using chakra strings on the living is a difficult thing to hold. A puppet freely gives whereas a resisting body is harder to control. If they are a puppet master, they could be at Chiyo's level." Kankuro offered, breaking the tension.

"Baki, send out a message to the Kages asking if there are any missing puppet masters from their villages" Gaara looked to his former sensei.

"Finally we're getting somewhere" Kankuro looked relieved. I just hoped this would give us another step into this investigation.

The next two days, Gaara received responses to whether or not any villages were missing a puppet master. All said no and the investigation went cold. The borders reported no activity.

Author's note: Still alive!


End file.
